Local officials protest state cuts to cities and towns

More than 110 mayors and council members turned out in Trenton this morning to protest the Corzine administration's decision to cut $174.1 million in state aid to cities and towns.

"The state budget is one of our major concerns,'' said East Orange Mayor Robert Bowser, president of the New Jersey State League of Municipalities. The cuts, local officials said, would lead to property tax hikes, layoffs or reductions in essential services.

Penns Grove Mayor John A. Washington addresses the panel during the State Budget Summit today.

On Friday, the administration recommended the Legislature restore $15 million in aid to towns with populations under 10,000. But that amount would still fall short of the promise of property tax funding made last year by the Legislature, Bowser said.

The local officials tossed questions about the budget and local fiscal relief to state officials, including Treasurer David Rousseau, Community Affairs Commissioner Joseph Doria, Assemblyman and Louis Greenwald (D-Camden), chairman of the Assembly Budget Committee.

This afternoon, a handful of mayors from towns with populations under 5,000 were prepared to announce they are attempting to organize a coalition to give small town leaders greater input in state actions involving municipalities.

Photos by Matt Rainey/The Star-LedgerTreasurer David Rousseau sits among the panelists today at the State Budget Summit.

Raymond Heck, mayor of Millstone Borough in Somerset County, said the mayors were moved to act by the administration initially cutting off all state aid to the 192 smallest municipalities and directing them to consider consolidation or share services.

"I believe we are more efficient than the bigger cities,'' Heck said. "We feel we are not the root cause of the (state's fiscal) problems. We are willing to reach out and do our part but just coming out and being arbitrary (the state ) is not the way.''